April 13, 2014
Sixth Sunday of Lent
Readings:
Matthew 21: 1-11
Isaiah 50: 4-7
Psalms 22: 8-9; 17-18; 19-20; 23-24
Philippians 2: 6-11
Matthew 26: 14-27:66
This Sunday is not for the faint of heart. The Scripture readings are not only the longest of the year, they are the most intense. At the center is betrayal.
On Palm Sunday we follow Jesus from his glorious entrance to Jerusalem to his torture and execution. The story is emotional, not just for the physical anguish described, but also for the emotional anguish.
There are so many threads of betrayal here. The crowds that cheer Jesus one day are soon clamoring for his execution. Judas, of course, is the most dramatic. Yet I have always been most attentive to Peter’s denial, perhaps because we share a name, but also because it is the easiest to comprehend.
One compelling argument for the basic truth of the Gospel accounts is that they don’t whitewash the weaknesses and failures of the early Christian leaders. Never is that more true than in the Passion. The leaders of the early Christian community are seen here as weak, the men running away or keeping a safe distance, in contrast to the women, who are the ones with the courage to stand by Jesus.
Many of the betrayals in the Passion account go beyond everyday experiences. Few of us have been part of a mob seeking the execution of an innocent. Fewer still have had opportunity to betray a leader, beloved teacher and friend for pieces of silver.
But Peter’s betrayal is more common. It’s more like the “Who? I-don’t-know-this guy variety.” That is something we’ve all experienced, either in the doing or the receiving. Sometimes it’s about trivial matters, something to laugh off.
Any parent of teens knows what it’s like to be told to keep a distance at the mall while friends walk by. If we think about it, we know deep down it’s a turnabout, since we likely did it to our own parents.
Or a wife could tell her husband venturing out in a mismatched suit, “if you go out with that, I don’t know you.”
Peter’s denial is far more serious and tragic.
In the Gospel stories, Peter is often at the center of the action. Here, he is literally to the side, following safely in the background, gathering warmth at a campfire as Jesus faces his accusers. His stance is that of wanting to be a spectator, but not a friend. Peter is no profile in courage.
In him, we see ourselves. We know we deny Jesus regularly when we ignore the annoying beggar on the street, when we fail to respond to bigoted remarks, when there is injustice at work that we just let go by. Like Peter, it is much easier to fade into the background, trying not to make a scene. It is an everyday kind of betrayal, and it makes this Sunday’s reading even more painful.
Want to follow along with the daily Mass readings? Go to www.camdendiocese.org for a link.
Peter Feuerherd is director of Communications for the Diocese of Camden and associate publisher of the Catholic Star Herald.
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